


Whiskey, Neat

by imawarlock



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Drinking to Cope, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 06:18:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5655694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imawarlock/pseuds/imawarlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do you want to celebrate our holidays together?” Levi asked, the single second of silence seeming to last for an entire lifetime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whiskey, Neat

**Author's Note:**

> a late holiday fic!
> 
> edit: i commissioned a painted scene from this fic and it turned out amazing. please check it out [here](http://35grams.tumblr.com/post/139495097774/whiskey-neat)

It was half past 10 when the guy showed up at Levi’s bar, trudging through the door amidst a rush of cold air and snow flurries. He took off his hat and scarf, shoving them into his coat pockets, and walked over to seat himself a few yards down from where Levi was polishing a glass. 

At that point, his last customer had left about an hour ago considering that it was Christmas Eve, and the place was mostly quiet, save for the stereo he kept on low playing in the background and whatever sounds happened to filter in from outside. His establishment was located downtown in a normally busy area, but given the holiday, even the noises from cars and pedestrians had dwindled down to nothing except for the occasional faint stirring.

Levi knew that it was because most people were with their families or loved ones by then, obviously with the exception of himself and his new patron - a man who he’d never seen in there before. Obviously he did not know a thing about him, but Levi doubted he'd come because he was looking to have a good time. There were only so many reasons for a person to be out drinking alone at 10:30 PM on Christmas Eve at a place like this, after all, and he vaguely wondered what his deal was while the man got situated. 

“What can I get you?” Levi asked after giving him a few seconds, approaching him and throwing the cloth he'd been cleaning with over his shoulder. 

“Whiskey. Neat, please.” The man answered, nodding when Levi pointed to his top shelf brand behind the bar. 

He grabbed it and picked up a small drinking glass before pouring him a shot, setting it down in front of him on top of a square napkin. From underneath the counter he pulled out a bowl of pretzels and peanuts - bar snacks - and placed those near him too next.

“Thank you.” He told Levi politely. “Can I open a tab?”

Levi nodded, unsurprised, and went to do as the man requested on his register. He didn’t speak again while Levi did so and instead took a sip of his whiskey, tasting it as he pulled out his cell to check the screen. Apparently satisfied with the quality of his drink - or, Levi thought, disappointed at not having any messages because he’d already put his phone back where it had come from - he then tilted his head back, downing the rest of it in one smooth gulp.

_ Well _ , Levi thought, grabbing his bottle, if he was there to drown his sorrows, he was certainly off to a good start. 

“Another?” Levi asked after he'd set his glass down, proceeding to pour him a second shot when he nodded.

He eyeballed the amber liquid generously because it was Christmas, putting it back on the shelf afterward once he’d waited to make sure the man wasn’t going to just gulp that one down quickly too. He didn’t, and since he didn’t appear to need anything else, Levi went to resume polishing his drinking glasses, unable to stop himself from subtly taking a closer look at his new customer a few moments later. 

The man was attractive - tall, blonde, and masculine - and nicely dressed, but Levi had noticed that when he’d first walked in. Now that he was sitting a few feet away from him though, he could make out his features better, noting that they were classically handsome and sculpted like he’d come right off a fucking runway or something. His cheekbones were sharp and his jaw was strong, and although his profile revealed a nose that was slightly bent - probably the only imperfect part of him that Levi could see - he didn’t think it took anything away from his good looks. Rather, he thought, it had the opposite effect, and stood out charmingly amongst everything else while still somehow matching the defined angles of his face. 

The way he was dressed, too, was pleasing to the eye, neat and tidy and, well,  _ polished _ . In fact, he looked like he'd just come from a party or something, because he'd draped his long woolen coat over the back of his chair to reveal a dark pinstriped suit, white button-down shirt, and blue tie ensemble that fit him well and didn't look cheap. He wore a fancy watch and had his hair combed back, and overall, he was the kind of guy that Levi definitely would have looked twice at had they been anywhere else. 

Not that he was in his league or anything, because he probably wasn't, especially considering that he looked entirely out of place in Levi’s dim dive bar. Or at least, he mused, he did on that night. With his good looks and immaculate suit - and the way it suggested that he was not broke - he appeared to be quite a catch, and even if he was actually a jerk Levi didn't think that a guy like him should have had any trouble finding  _ someone _ to be with during Christmas. 

_ A businessman, maybe? _ Levi guessed as an explanation, still wiping down glassware while stealthily observing him.  _ Away on a trip? _

If that was the case, then perhaps he’d just found himself needing alcohol because he was out of town and couldn’t make it home, and was missing whoever he was supposed to be with. On the other hand, though, he could just be a work-a-holic, and had come there because his family had started Christmas without him and now he felt like shit about it. Levi had heard both stories many times before, as he’d been doing this for almost 15 years and had dealt with his fair share of sad, drunk customers during the holidays. 

Most of the time it actually had to do with a significant other, but whether that was the case with this guy, he, at the very least, was not wearing a wedding ring. That didn’t mean anything necessarily, but he certainly wasn’t out celebrating with a wife or a girlfriend. Whether it was because of a break-up or his lover lived out of town or he was just single, Levi didn’t know, but any of those reasons were usually enough to get someone in the mood for self-deprecating drinking once Christmas time rolled around. 

It could be anything, Levi thought, but for some reason he found his curiosity piqued more than usual. Perhaps it was because business was so slow or perhaps it was for some other reason Levi couldn’t place, but regardless, it wasn’t like he had anything else to do that night. 

“How’s your drink?” He asked a moment later, once he’d finished cleaning his most recent glass and saw the man taking a sip from his. 

“Fine, thank you.” Was the answer Levi got, along with a pair of eyes flicking toward him briefly in acknowledgment. 

They were blue, he noticed in the dim light, and matched his tie perfectly.

“Can I get you anything else?”

“I think I’m alright for now.”

Levi nodded, watching the man take out his phone to check it like he had before. He turned on the screen and then slipped it back into his pocket after turning it off again, and although his expression didn’t change, it was clear he hadn’t seen what he’d wanted. Was he waiting for a call, Levi wondered? If so, how long had he been expecting it for? He supposed that it was certainly possible that he was out to meet someone and had just stopped by for a drink while he waited, but given the time and the date and the way he was checking his cell like that in the first place, Levi doubted that was it. 

_ Stood up, then? _ Levi guessed first off.  _ Or not invited to the party? _

Either were possible, and both were especially depressing on Christmas Eve. However, one was decidedly much worse than the other, but Levi was having a hard time getting an accurate gauge of the man’s despondency when he’d barely spoken. So far, he’d only answered Levi’s questions and ordered his drink, which might indicate he didn’t want to talk. If that was the case, Levi would leave him alone so that he could drown his misery in silence, but, well, it could also mean that he was just too miserable to speak up himself.

Levi told himself that allowing a customer to spill their woes often sold more alcohol, and that was the reason he started talking to him again. 

“Are you from out of town?” He asked the man, wiping vigorously at a particularly difficult smudge on one of his glasses.

“No.” Came his response, a moment after he’d glanced over at Levi.

This time when he’d did so, his eyes lingered on him for a bit longer than before, dropping down and then back up again to take Levi in before speaking. 

“Working late?” He asked next, nodding at the man’s suit.

“No. Not tonight.”

“Got a party to go to, then?” 

At that, Levi got a scoff in response - the tone of it laced with the tiniest bit of wry bitterness - followed by an unfocused glance to the top of his bar. “Not anymore.”

_ Not anymore. _ Levi repeated to himself, watching the man suddenly down what remained of his whiskey after that admission. 

Clearly, he’d hit the nail right on the head, and had also learned that the guy wasn’t in town on a business trip or anything like that. Something had obviously happened, but what? Had he fought with his girlfriend? Broken up with her? If so, why wasn’t he with family then? 

Choosing his next words carefully, Levi paused, stopping his cleaning to go for the bottle of whiskey again. He poured the man another shot without even asking him this time and then placed his hands on the bar, trying to sound sympathetic before he spoke. 

“Is that why you’re here, then?” 

“I suppose it is.” The guy answered, smiling slightly. It was nice to look at, Levi had to admit, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes, and looked more melancholy than anything else. “What about you? Did you get the short end of the scheduling stick?”

Shrugging, Levi stepped back and looked away. “I own this place, and my family is Jewish.”

“Ah. So you’ve already done your celebrating, then?”

“Sure.” Levi responded, unwilling to say any more.

He didn’t mind answering basic questions in order to keep polite conversation - or rather, he thought, holding back a sigh, he put up with it because it was part of his job - but ones along that line would inevitably remind him of things that he did not want to think about if they continued. Although Levi hadn’t been religious since he was a kid, his family  _ was  _ Jewish; that wasn’t a lie. But his birthday was on Christmas and that was something to be celebrated, or at least, it would have been, if Levi had anyone to celebrate it with. 

Momentarily put off, Levi walked away to busy himself with putting away the glasses he’d cleaned before. Then he wiped down the counter behind the bar and rearranged some bottles that had somehow gotten out of place, and proceeded to check his stock of snacks, straws, lemons, and things like that. It took him a few minutes and they were chores that he did absentmindedly, until he was finished and turned around, and paused with a package of salt in his hand because he realized he was being watched. 

His customer’s eyes were on him, Levi saw, as his own gaze snapped up to the blonde man immediately. He looked away just as quickly when Levi caught him like he’d been found staring - which, Levi thought with some intrigue, was not wrong - and took a sip of his drink, finishing it off without the barest hint of the strong liquid bothering him.

“Another?” Levi asked without hesitation, stepping over and noting that the man’s cheeks were now a little pink.

Whether it was from the alcohol or because of what had just happened, Levi wasn’t sure, although he  _ did  _ know that there was no way a guy that size could already be drunk from just three shots of whiskey, one of which he’d literally just taken not even fifteen minutes after the others.

“Please, thank you.” He told Levi after he poured him another at his affirmative nod, fixing his eyes on him again, his gaze remaining there and his lips staying parted when he’d finished talking like he wanted to say something else. “Can I ask your name?”

“Levi.” Levi responded, followed by: “You?”

He'd answered and asked in a neutral tone, on the off chance that the man might have or get the wrong idea. Levi didn't get creep vibes from him, but he had been hit on by enough weirdos over the years to learn to never to let his guard down completely. 

“I'm Erwin.”

“Erwin.” Levi repeated, stilling. 

“Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yeah.” Levi said, looking away, frowning, and wondering why he’d felt fluttering in his chest when he’d said the man’s name.

He must just be feeling sorry for him, Levi assumed, because so far he didn’t seem like an asshole and he was alone and at his bar on Christmas Eve. There weren’t many individuals who deserved that, and it wasn't hard to momentarily convince himself that it was pity Levi felt when Erwin suddenly took his phone out of his pocket again, repeating the now familiar motion of checking the screen before putting it away when he didn’t see what he was looking for. Even that didn't make much sense though, because Levi barely knew him, and he got depressed drunks in his bar all the time without managing to particularly care about their situations.

Thankfully, he was saved from further introspection about it by Erwin himself, who cleared his throat because Levi was still standing silent in front of him. He'd been thinking and hadn't realized, and felt his cheeks warm a bit from Erwin noticing. 

“Uh, you wanna watch TV or something?” He said, gesturing to the one mounted on the wall behind his bar, fully committed to pretending that Erwin had gotten his attention because he'd wanted something. 

“That's alright.” Erwin answered, smiling. This one was wider than the one he'd cracked before and looked more genuine, and Levi’s eyes lingered before he could help himself. “I doubt there's anything good on.”

“Yeah, and I'm not sure I could stand to listen to Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer again. That shit has been on about a hundred times.”

At that, Erwin laughed. Or at least, he chuckled. It was quiet, soft, and warm, and after pausing for a second while it washed over him, Levi went to get another glass to polish to give himself something to do.

“What time do you close?” Erwin asked him then, taking a sip of his drink.

“1 or 2. Maybe 3.” Levi answered with a shrug. “Depends on how business is. Why, are you waiting on someone?”

He couldn't help but ask, especially because Erwin had moved to go for his cell phone again. Immediately, though, he wondered if he'd overstepped his bounds when at Levi's words, Erwin stopped short and froze with his hand in his pocket. 

“Ah.” He said, averting his eyes. His face dropped a little while he stayed still for a moment, thinking, before he glanced at Levi again. Then, as if he'd come to some sort of decision, he sighed, and finally withdrew his hand and left his phone alone. “No. I thought maybe...well, never mind. I'm not.”

Levi raised an eyebrow, feeling another hint of sympathy. Clearly, Erwin had just realized whoever he'd been waiting on a call from was, in fact, not going to call, and had just lost whatever last bit of hope he'd had for it. It was kind of pathetic, if Levi was being honest, and he pulled out his secret bottle of expensive, rare, aged whiskey from underneath the bar before he even knew what he was doing.

“Oh no, I can't.” Erwin said when he saw it, his eyes widening a bit as Levi got two shot glasses out as well. “My tab is going to be high enough as it is, I-”

“It's on the house.” Levi said, pouring Erwin a shot and one for himself too. “Although what kind of businessman can't afford a little alcohol?”

It was said teasingly and as a joke, but Erwin laughed a lot harder than Levi would've thought. After a second, he discovered why.  “I'm not a businessman. I'm a librarian.”

Both of Levi's eyebrows raised high at that in surprise, as it was pretty much the last thing he'd expected Erwin to be from the way he looked and was dressed. Obviously, appearances weren't everything, but it wasn't like Levi cared either way. Or at least, he thought he hadn't. For some reason, Levi found the fact that Erwin was a librarian when he'd thought he was some kind of executive or something to be incredibly endearing. 

He didn't know why, but he felt charmed all of a sudden while digesting it and taking in Erwin's handsome face and smile, and swallowed after a moment, getting that strange, fluttering sensation in his chest that he'd had before. 

“Well, shit.” He said, putting away his expensive whiskey and taking his shot in between three fingers. “To your library?”

“Thank you. To your bar.” Erwin chuckled again, lifting his shot in Levi's direction.

They drank them together, Levi grimacing a bit at the burn - despite owning a bar, he wasn't big on liquor himself - while Erwin, on the other hand, hummed at the taste.

“That's very good.” He said, pausing to study Levi briefly before speaking again. “What was it for?”

“You mean why’d I offer it to you?”

“Yes.”

“I dunno.” Levi answered, averting his eyes, busying himself with straightening a glass. “Because, if you have to be stuck here on Christmas Eve instead of at your party or talking to whoever was supposed to call you, the least I could do is give you some decent booze.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Well, you don't really know me. Maybe I deserve to be here.” 

Pausing, Levi straightened and looked Erwin in the eye. That was true; he didn't know him. He'd only first seen him about an hour and a half ago and he'd barely had a complete conversation with him, and for all he knew Erwin had been the cause of whatever drama had resulted in him being alone on Christmas. However, something just told Levi that he wasn't, and that whatever had happened, he was the one who had been hurt. 

“It's Christmas.” Levi answered though, certainly not about to say that out loud. “You must have done something really shitty if you do, like steal a kid’s presents or run over a grandma.”

Erwin laughed at him again, louder than he had so far. Levi wondered if he was finally starting to feel the alcohol or if he actually liked Levi's sense of humor, noting that his eyes were certainly bright and his face rosy, a scarlet flush sweeping across the top lines of his cheekbones. It was a sign that he was at least buzzed - but what he said next indicated it far more than that.

“No. I didn't do anything like that. My fiancé left me last month, but it was my fault.”

_ Shit.  _ Levi thought, freezing again from where he'd been wiping a glass, so he  _ had _ been dumped. That was pretty fucked up, but he'd said it was his fault. Why, he wondered, and what did that have to do with the call he was expecting and the party thing? Did he not have any family?

Speaking of family, Levi realized that it was now just after midnight. It was officially his birthday, and had it been an earlier time in his life, he would have been getting a call from his mother any minute so she could sing him happy birthday. It was something she'd done when he was a kid every year, and his growing up and moving off had never stopped her; she'd just used the phone. Unfortunately, though, she'd passed away several years ago, and Levi had no other family except for his uncle, but Levi didn't get along with him and hadn't spoken to him since his mother’s funeral. He had a few friends, of course, but because Levi’s birthday overlapped with a widely celebrated holiday, they were with  _ their  _ families, leaving him with no one else but himself to do anything with.

That was neither here nor there, though, because Levi understood and he liked to think that he was resigned to it by now. That's why he was working, after all, but Erwin probably wasn't used to it, and getting broken up with by the person you were planning to marry at Christmas time was pretty shitty no matter how you looked at it.

“What'd you do, stop up your toilet too many times?” He asked, hoping that Erwin hadn't cheated on her or something, because then he was going to feel stupid for sympathizing with him.

“No.” Erwin responded. He smiled, but it was the sad, solemn one he'd exhibited before, the one that didn't quite meet his eyes. He stared into his glass and took a sip before continuing, and Levi went ahead and reached for the good stuff again. “Nothing like that. She left me for my best friend, and I just could have been better to her, I suppose.”

“For your best friend?” Levi repeated, making a face as he poured Erwin another shot of aged whiskey. After pausing to glance at the clock, he went ahead and gave himself another one too. “That's fucked up.”

“I was supposed to go to our group Christmas party tonight. It was planned before and she insisted that I still come, but on the way there I decided I couldn't. I thought she might call and ask why, because I guess part of me hoped it wasn't over. But obviously she didn't, so...”

Erwin trailed off after that, and Levi slid the shot he'd poured for him across the bar. He picked it up, gestured toward Levi with it, and then downed it in one gulp, and Levi did the same with his. 

_ Poor bastard.  _ He thought, getting the sense that ‘I could've been better to her’ was just Erwin being hard on himself. Levi was pretty sure he was a good guy at this point, and either way, even if they fought or struggled to get along sometimes, his fiancé leaving him to hook up with his best friend was really fucked up. What kind of person did that to their significant other? What kind of person did that to their supposed best friend too, for that matter?

It was sad, and obviously Erwin was lonely and heartbroken because not only had he lost his girlfriend, he was probably losing a friend too. He was by himself because he hadn't gone to their Christmas party - something that Levi definitely didn't blame him for - and he either didn't have family or he'd given up on seeing them to stay in the city instead, apparently stuck on the lingering false hope that his fiancé might return to him. His words made it clear that the fact that she hadn't called when he'd ditched the party was like the final nail in the coffin though, and, well, all of that would be bad enough on any given day. On Christmas it was worse, and although Levi hadn't been dumped around his birthday anytime before, he certainly knew what it felt like to be missing someone you'd loved during an important time and learning what it was like to be by yourself.

Perhaps that was why he'd felt so bad for Erwin since he'd walked in there, because for some reason, Levi had been able to sense that he was just like him: alone. 

“That's shit.” Levi said, lowering his eyes. “Sorry. And sorry your best friend is a fucking bastard.”

Erwin laughed at that, to his credit, and nodded. “Yes, although he's probably a better match for her than I ever was.”

“Oi. How many shots will it take before you stop saying shit like that?” Levi said, making a face and picking up his bottle again, feeling far more defensive of this sad, handsome man that he'd only just met than he wanted to admit.

“More than I'm willing to take, I'm afraid.” Erwin said, shaking his head at the whiskey. “Especially if you aren't charging. You've been too kind to me already.”

Levi rolled his eyes and poured them both another shot anyway, wondering if Erwin was always like this or if it was just because of his current circumstances. Not that he blamed him for it now, but he was probably the most pitiful customer he'd had in a long time, and Levi couldn't help but think he reminded him of a hurt puppy. Maybe that was why he wanted to cheer him up so bad, Levi thought, or maybe it was just because he sort of knew how he felt. Maybe it was something else too, though, something that had to do with the warm spark he felt in his chest when Erwin looked at him.

He wasn't sure, and he wasn't sure that it mattered anyway because Erwin was probably not thinking about anyone or anything other than his ex. Whatever it was that he was feeling - the beginnings of romantic attraction, although he wasn't willing to admit that yet - was pointless, and Levi did his best to ignore it because after that night he would probably never see Erwin again anyway.

That didn't stop him from talking to Erwin for the entire rest of the time he was there though, doing his best to make every crude joke he had the opportunity for to try to cheer Erwin up. He had him laughing every few minutes and gave him a few more shots, and by the time he looked at his watch and stated that he should probably head home, Levi thought he seemed at least a little more uplifted than he'd been when he'd come in there.

“You gonna call a cab?” Levi asked as Erwin took out his phone, keeping it out this time instead of checking the screen and sticking it back into his pocket.

By then he was definitely tipsy, on his way to drunk but not quite, but still certainly incapable of driving. His cheeks were a rosy shade of red and his eyes were lidded, and his lips stayed parted like he couldn't keep them closed as he smiled and nodded at Levi's question. He slurred a bit while he talked to the cab company, and Levi watched him as he cleaned out his glass, unable to stop himself from thinking that he looked too damned cute for his own good like that.

He'd had less drinks than Erwin, but his lower tolerance and smaller size meant that he was buzzed too, feeling warm and more cheerful than he probably should be considering his own circumstances. The alcohol, too, made him oblivious to the fact that he was staring at Erwin, only realizing it when Erwin hung up the phone and caught his eye. Their gazes met for a moment and stayed that way - a small smile still present on Erwin's face - until Levi turned his head, a hot flush spreading down his neck as he swallowed.

“Thanks for the drinks.” Erwin said a moment later, his voice breaking the silence that for some reason, hung heavily now between them. “What do I owe you?”

“Don't worry about it.” Levi mumbled, keeping his eyes on where he had moved to wash his hands in the sink.

He was still blushing, and the fact that he'd just told Erwin he didn't have to pay his tab was making it worse. Now, he felt self-conscious that Erwin might suspect something and press, or keep making a big deal out of it which would just cause him to become more embarrassed. 

“What? That's too kind, at least let me pay for something.” Erwin said, of course. “I drank a lot.”

“I said don't worry about it. I had enough business before you got here. It doesn't matter.”

“But-”

“Look, your cab’s here already. You better go before he leaves your ass.” 

Levi still hadn't looked at Erwin while they'd argued, finding that he was too flustered by all of this and concerned that because of the alcohol he'd had, he might say something to Erwin he might regret if he saw his face, like asking him to come back or telling him he seemed like he didn't deserve what had happened to him. Or, Levi thought with another flush, inviting him to go upstairs to his apartment. He couldn't help but think it, and it was the reason that he kept his eyes steadily downward even as he heard Erwin sigh in resignation, fumbling around at his seat for nearly an entire minute before he finally managed to get up.

Wondering how drunk he actually fucking was to be taking that long, Levi still only allowed himself to look up when Erwin exited his bar. He glanced at his back and frowned as he left through the door, listening to the sounds of him climbing into the cab outside before it drove off. Just like that he was gone, and suddenly, everything was silent except for his music, and Levi found himself feeling just as lonely as he would've been had Erwin not even come in at all.

That was ridiculous though, and stupid, and huffing in irritation, Levi dried his hands, moving to wipe down the spot Erwin had been sitting at aggressively so he could close up when he caught sight of something and stopped.

“Motherfucker.” He mumbled to himself, reaching out to take the 100 dollar bill Erwin had left for him on top of the bar.

Underneath that was his napkin, and if the very generous tip hadn't made him feel stupidly warm and grateful inside, what he saw there made his heart nearly leap up into his throat. It was a note, written on the paper napkin Erwin had been using in blue ink.

_ Thanks again. My night wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.  _ It said, followed by a series of numbers that made Levi's eyes go wide.  _ I hope this isn't too forward. -Erwin. _

It was, of course, Erwin's phone number, left for Levi because...because why? Was Erwin interested in him? Any other time and with any other person, Levi would have balked, because he hated when customers hit on him. With Erwin, however, he snatched up the napkin instead, tossed his cleaning rag to the side, and bolted across the bar for his cell phone, dialing the number written there before he even knew what he was doing.

“Hello?” Erwin answered after a few rings, and Levi sat down hard, his heart suddenly feeling like it was going to hammer out of his chest.

“Hey.” He said, his voice sounding hoarse because his mouth had gone dry.

“Levi?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you called to curse me out?”

At that, Levi snorted. As soon as Erwin had answered he'd lost whatever brief influx of bravery he'd gotten due to nerves, but his question helped him relax a little. 

“No.” He said, and because he wanted to know for sure, followed his answer up with: “Do you have family?”

There was a pause. “I don’t. My father passed away years ago.”

“Oh. Shit. It's my birthday, you know.”

“What? Your birthday is on Christmas?”

“Yeah.”

“Why aren't you out celebrating then?”

Levi bit his lip, staring down at the table he was sitting at. This was a conversation he rarely had with anyone, much less with a man who was basically a stranger. He was a private person and didn't like to talk about things like this even with his friends, but for some reason, he felt comfortable saying it to Erwin. He trusted him even though he barely even knew him, perhaps because Erwin had spilled to him too. Or, he thought, perhaps it was because he could relate, and because deep down, he just did not want to be alone on his birthday. Surely Erwin didn't want to be alone either, right?

“Because.” He started, telling himself that Erwin had left him his number for precisely that reason. “I'm like you. I don't have anyone.”

“Levi-”

“Do you want to celebrate our holidays together?”

Tense while he asked, Levi waited as Erwin paused for another moment, the single second of silence seeming to last for an entire lifetime.

“Yes.” He said finally, his voice quiet and thick with something. “I'd like that.”

Levi found himself nearly smiling at Erwin’s admission, because of course, he would like that too. That was why he’d asked - as he knew without a doubt that Erwin was someone he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his night with, and he hoped he’d felt the same way too since he’d written him that note. Now the question was, what were they going to do? What was going to happen? Levi knew what he wouldn’t mind doing, and luckily, Erwin’s next question led right to it.

“How would you like to celebrate?” He asked curiously, the smile on his face nearly evident in his tone.

“I can think of a few ways.” Levi responded, lowering his voice as he felt his bravery from before returning. “As long as you didn’t leave me your number because you just want to be friends.”

He wasn’t suggesting that Erwin necessarily wanted to date him with his comment or anything, only that he’d left Levi his number because he’d found himself attracted to him. It was certainly possible that he hadn’t intended that, but, well, if he had then he couldn’t blame Levi for getting the wrong impression. When someone left you their number it usually only meant one thing, and luckily, Levi was not wrong.

“No, I didn’t. I admit it.” Erwin said, sounding nothing like the solemn, downcast person he’d been when he’d first walked into Levi’s bar. His tone was smooth now, and inviting, and with just enough of a hint of enticement to let Levi know exactly what this was leading to. “Would you like to come to my apartment?” 

“Yeah.” Levi answered immediately, excited anticipation sparking inside his belly now. Although he was only speaking to Erwin over the phone and he obviously could not see him, their conversation suddenly seemed charged with something heated, a tension in the air too that had everything to do with the implications of what they were discussing. “I’d like to come in your apartment too. What’s your address, big guy?”

It was horrible innuendo, but Levi had never been good at subtle flirting. Regardless, it didn’t do anything to dissuade Erwin in the least, because he rattled off his address and directions to his apartment without even skipping a beat. Levi would have to close up first before leaving, of course, but that wouldn’t take him long, especially now that he would be in a rush because he had somewhere else he’d much rather be. 

All he had to do once he got off the phone was lock the door, finish wiping down the bar and close out his register, deciding that whatever chores remained he would just make sure to complete before he opened again. Then he hurried upstairs to take a quick shower in his apartment, throwing on a sweater and a nicer pair of jeans than he’d been wearing before. He did it partly because he wanted to look decent and to be clean since he was getting laid, and partly because although he was anxious to get to Erwin’s, he wanted to give him some time to sober up in case he’d left Levi his number and then accepted his invitation because of the alcohol he’d had. 

He half feared that he would have a text or a voicemail from Erwin when he was finished getting ready that said never mind, but there was nothing, and so after bundling up for the ride, he made his way outside for his motorbike. The shower had sobered him up so he could drive, and after throwing on his helmet he was off, finding Erwin’s place easily enough in less than twenty minutes. 

He lived on the other side of town in a modest apartment building on the ground floor, and the closer Levi got, the more nervous he felt, naturally. By the time he parked and removed his helmet - shaking out his hair and running a hand through it, using the mirror on his motorbike to make sure it wasn’t a mess like he was a stupid teenager on his first date or something - and knocked on Erwin’s door his stomach was doing flips inside of him, and he had to take a deep breath to still his heart when he heard a loud, muffled ‘come in’ echoing from inside. 

Opening the door, Levi swallowed and peeked his head in, stepping into the apartment when he saw Erwin standing a few yards away inside his kitchen. He was opening a bottle of wine even though it was now 2:00 AM, and gave Levi a small smile when he entered and their eyes met. 

“Happy birthday.” He said, holding up the wine as if he’d pulled it out just to celebrate. “It’s a cheap red, but it’s all I had.”

Levi snorted, but even that small gesture was enough to make his cheeks warm, his hands going up to unwind the scarf he had wrapped around his face before speaking. 

“Merry Christmas.” He told Erwin even though he didn’t celebrate it, seeing as that was the reason  _ he  _ was there for  _ him _ .

Erwin smiled again and approached to help Levi out of his coat, his blue eyes bright and more focused than they’d been when he’d left Levi’s bar. He’d lost the warm flush to his face too that had been from the whiskey, and although he’d removed his suit jacket, he’d left his tie and everything else on so that he still managed to look every inch of the handsome executive Levi had assumed he’d been from the start. 

The fact that he was a librarian seemed more obvious when Levi looked around his apartment though, because there were piles of books everywhere, stacked in corners and stuffed into shelves that lined almost every single one of his walls. Levi had the sudden urge to ask Erwin if he ran his library out of his actual apartment, but was distracted before he could by the feeling of Erwin’s fingers brushing against his back.

He’d placed a hand there as if to lead Levi further inside and towards the wine, but then removed it not even a second later when Levi froze. He’d only gone still because he hadn’t been expecting it, not because he didn’t like it, but, well, was Erwin nervous? He must have been because he was a little more quiet than he’d been at the bar, more aware of his actions, and with that realization, Levi wondered how much more endearing Erwin could possibly get to him. 

He didn’t know why but he found his uncertainty cute, and although he felt much of the same even though they both knew what he was there for, the pounding of his heart seemed to calm a bit when he realized he wasn’t the only one with a little apprehension. Why should he have any, though? They were no longer intoxicated and it was obvious that they both still wanted to spend their time together like this, and that’s what it was about, right? Doing something enjoyable and having company because they’d gotten along at the bar, so that they wouldn’t have to be alone? 

It was - or at least, that had been his line of thinking - and either way, Levi decided that whatever happened between them and whatever might come from it, he wasn’t going to worry about any of it until December 26th. Right then, he was going to enjoy himself, and even after the free drinks he’d given him at the bar, he was going to try his best to make sure Erwin did too. 

“Are you gonna get me some wine?” He asked, lowering his eyelids and looking up at Erwin, wrapping a small hand around his forearm too. 

He placed it there as if he was going to pull him towards the kitchen, leading him there like Erwin had been trying to do to him before. It was meant to be both reassuring and luring, and it seemed to make Erwin relax a little too since it was now obvious that Levi hadn’t minded his touch from a few moments ago. He smiled after looking down at Levi’s fingers, nodding a second later and stepping forward to go pour them both a glass. Afterward, they took them into Erwin’s living room with the bottle and sat down on the couch, chatting a bit in front of a large space heater. It wasn’t a fire but it was cozy and warm, and all it took to settle both of their nerves down for the most part was just a few sips of wine. 

“I have to admit,” Erwin said after a bit of small talk, the same smile on his face that he’d worn at the bar, a wry one that Levi was starting to get familiar with. “When I left my number, I mostly expected you to follow me to the cab so that you could punch me out.”

Levi scoffed, then took a sip of his wine. “Why is that?”

“I don’t know for sure, I just imagine that you get tired of customers hitting on you.”

“It doesn’t happen that often.” Levi said, which was true. 

It didn’t, because it wasn’t like Levi was the friendliest bartender in town. But that was partly because Erwin was right - he normally hated it when customers did things like leave him their phone numbers, and usually put on enough of an air of disdain if anyone gave him weird vibes so that they got the hint and didn’t mess with him. 

“Really?” Erwin said, all signs of his brief foray with nerves earlier now gone for good. “I find that hard to believe.”

At that, Levi raised an eyebrow and hid his small smirk behind his wine glass. His ears warmed, but not from embarrassment. It was in the good way, because Erwin was flirting with him, and he couldn’t lie that it made him feel a bit giddy. 

“It’s true. Probably because normally, I’m an asshole.”

“Ah. So you’re saying that I’m right, and most of the time you  _ do  _ punch out men who leave you their phone numbers.”

“Yeah.” Levi said, gazing at Erwin next to him on the couch. “Most men.”

_ But not you. _ Was the unspoken meaning behind his sentence, and because Erwin was kind and handsome and charming and Levi didn’t want to wait any longer to kiss him, he drained the rest of his wine, leaning forward after he’d swallowed it down to place his empty glass on the coffee table in front of them. Predictably, Erwin moved to refill it for him, but before he could grab the bottle Levi grabbed him instead, placing a hand on his chest and digging his fingers into a handful of his shirt, dragging him across the empty space between them on the couch so he could press their lips together. 

It started out slow, but Erwin did not protest. Rather, he leaned into it immediately after just a second of surprise, his hand coming to rest first on Levi’s knee and then his thigh, and then on his hip as the simple resting of their mouths against each other became something more. Suddenly, they were kissing,  _ really  _ kissing, with parted lips and sliding tongues, and even though it still wasn’t rushed or all that heated just yet, it was enough for a warm spark of something to ignite in Levi’s belly. 

It was enough for him to climb into Erwin’s lap too a little while later, after another minute passed and Erwin pulled back just an inch to look at him with wide eyes, pausing as if he almost couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Levi knew the feeling, but it  _ was  _ happening - or at least, he still wanted it to.

“Is this okay?” He asked after he’d gotten settled atop Erwin’s thighs just to make sure he was still fine with it, his voice sounding breathy already as he placed his hands on Erwin’s shoulders and waited for him to answer. 

Thankfully, he did so immediately. 

“Yes.” He said, his eyes on Levi’s body in front of him, on where his hands were currently sliding up his thighs to hold onto his waist again. His lips were parted and his eyes were bright, and the pink flush had returned to his cheekbones, Levi saw. This time, however, he knew it was not from any alcohol, but from what they’d been doing, and as if to confirm what he’d said with his touch, Erwin’s palms slipped around to squeeze Levi’s ass. “It’s more than okay.”

“Are you talking about me, or my ass?” Levi murmured teasingly, unwilling to wait for an answer before he dipped his head down to kiss Erwin again.

“Both.” Erwin responded though between presses of his mouth, a smile on his own while Levi wound his arms around his neck and leaned against him. 

They stayed like that for a while, making out and learning each other’s lips, breathing the same air and just enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against each other. Erwin was warm and solid and he smelled good, and although Levi was normally impatient when it came to these things, he hadn’t been touched like this in a long time. He found it kind of nice not to rush, to savor things like Erwin’s palm brushing along the bare skin of his back after it had dipped underneath his sweater, or how he tasted like wine and how soft and silky his hair felt underneath Levi’s hand when he wound his own fingers through strands of it to hold on to. 

It was thrilling and satisfying, engaging in a way that made him almost content to just sit there and do this, but no matter how good it felt just to kiss Erwin it was only a matter of time before things started to progress further. It was Erwin who took the initiative, his hand coming around suddenly to find Levi’s cock through his jeans, rubbing at it with the heel of his palm firmly enough to draw a breathy gasp from his lips. It made his hips twitch too, automatically for more, and Erwin obliged him, pressing down harder and taking advantage of Levi’s distraction so that he could lean forward a bit to kiss at his neck.

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve done this with another man.” He murmured into Levi’s skin, his hot breath ghosting over it and making Levi a shiver travel up Levi’s spine. “Forgive me if I’m rusty.”

In response, Levi just groaned, as he shifted in an effort to rut up against Erwin’s hand while thinking that honestly, he didn’t know what the fuck Erwin was talking about. He was incredibly turned on by Erwin just from how they’d been making out like two teenagers, and if he stayed in his lap for long enough grinding against him like this, he had no doubt that at some point he would probably come in his pants. 

“You’re doing pretty damn good so far.” He breathed, his voice hitching when he felt Erwin suck lightly at his neck, his lips warm and wet and unfortunately, not against Levi’s own mouth.

That was where he wanted them again, and he pressed his hands on Erwin’s chest again, pushing him back against the couch so he could go back to kissing him. Now he was hungry and eager, squirming in Erwin’s lap and twisting his head so that he could reach deeper into Erwin’s mouth with his tongue, their lips moving together so sensually that he suddenly moaned. Erwin matched him as good as he got, too, running his hands all over Levi’s back and ass, and no sooner had the noise torn from his throat than he was picking Levi up, hoisting them both up off the couch so quickly that Levi had to clutch at his neck for purchase.

“Fuck.” He swore, startled momentarily, but only for a second before his next curse became more like a hungry growl from the realization that Erwin was carrying him off to his bedroom like he was nothing.

He dipped his head down to nip at Erwin’s throat, his hands palming at the back of his neck and his shoulders fervently, his legs wrapped around his waist tightly too until he found himself deposited right in the middle of a very large, very soft bed. Unfortunately, Erwin's bulk didn't follow, but Levi was treated to the sight of Erwin removing his tie instead. That was apparently as long as he could stand to be away from him, because he crawled on top of Levi after that, their mouths meeting again in a feverish, messy kiss. 

By then they were both panting and flushed, groping each other roughly and focused on removing whatever items of clothing they could reach as quickly as possible. Levi’s sweater was the first to go, pushed over his head while he pawed at Erwin's shirt, flicking open just enough buttons so that he could tug that off of his arms and over his chest next.

Then, unable to hold off his curiosity any longer, Levi lowered a hand to grasp Erwin's very hard, very promising sized bulge, going for his belt a second later when he felt the length of it against his palm. Erwin was busy kissing at his neck and chest, leaving a wet trail as he went lower, only to stop when Levi fumbled enough at his pants to get them open and shoved a hand inside, wrapping fingers around his cock and squeezing enough to make him gasp. His hips bucked a little too, and Levi's eyes went lidded as he paused. 

“Fuck.” He breathed, feeling the thickness of it against his skin, how heavy it felt and how long it was as he stroked him once, slowly from root to tip. The head was wet with pre-come, and Levi thumbed at it gently when he reached it, smearing it around before moving his hand away to shove Erwin's pants down over his hips roughly. “Happy birthday to me.”

He couldn't resist pushing Erwin away slightly so he could actually get a good look at his cock, licking his lips when it appeared even bigger than it had felt. He was so busy taking it in that he barely heard Erwin huffing a laugh above him, before he dipped his head back down to kiss Levi's lips again. Levi could feel him smiling and grabbed at his neck, arching against him while his mouth glided over Erwin's almost feverishly. He panted into his mouth and clutched at him, feeling excited and wound up and nearly dizzy with arousal. Erwin's hands made his skin feel like it was on fire wherever he touched him, his lips leaving Levi reaching for another taste every single time he shifted his mouth over his own. 

All in all, he was not sure of the last time he'd been this turned on, and by the time Erwin slipped his own pants off and started kissing down his chest and stomach, he was squirming, his breath hitching and his groin aching for more. He soon got it, because a moment later and Erwin's mouth was on his cock, eliciting a noisy gasp that turned into a wavering moan when he lifted his head to watch him. 

Erwin was mouthing at him, licking a stripe up the underside of his length before he took the tip of it into his mouth. He cheeks hollowed out as he sucked, and that was the last thing Levi saw before his head fell back onto the bed again and his hands found his way into Erwin's hair. He moaned while he swallowed more of him and then started bobbing up and down, a low hum sounding in his throat when Levi's fingers dug into his scalp. His mouth was warm and wet and tight because of the suction, but somehow, Levi managed to keep his hips still so that he wouldn't buck up into Erwin's mouth.

Well, until Erwin pulled off his cock to lick lower anyway, his tongue finding its way between his ass cheeks to tickle at his hole lightly. It made Levi’s fingers and toes curl into the bedding and Erwin's hair, a harsh gasp sounding from his throat when Erwin lapped at him more firmly. He couldn't help but shift into it, a strangled curse leaving his lips next when suddenly, Erwin moved away again and his tongue was replaced by a slick finger. He must have put it in his mouth, but Levi was too busy moaning and digging his heels into the bed to contemplate it, lifting his hips up for more and finding it between Erwin's lips.

He took Levi's cock his mouth again while sliding his finger in and out of him, sinking down so low on it that the head bumped the back of his throat, and Levi wondered if Erwin actually  _ was  _ rusty like he'd said before whether he'd even be able to fucking handle it had he been more practiced. He certainly seemed to know what he was doing, and with Erwin's mouth sucking him off and his finger moving in his ass, it didn't take long before Levi's thighs were trembling and he felt pleasure growing in his belly so quickly he almost couldn't control it.

“Shit, wait.” He gasped, biting his lip and arching, unable to stop himself from spreading his legs so he could feel more of the delicious tension building in his thighs. “You’re gonna make me come.”

Erwin groaned - apparently he liked that thought - but reluctantly pulled away, giving his cock one last suck before it slipped from his lips and he looked up to meet Levi's eyes. He'd stilled his finger and stopped blowing him, but the sight of his red, wet lips and mussed hair was almost enough to push Levi over the edge anyway. Instead, though, he managed to focus, swallowing and reaching for Erwin's neck so he could tug him back up on top of him. They only stayed that way for a moment, because no sooner had their lips crashed together than Levi was pushing Erwin over onto his back, climbing on top and wetting two of his own fingers before slipping them inside himself with a grunt.

“Please tell me you have fucking lube.” He breathed, the plea half a whine as he tilted his head back and started working himself open. 

Erwin's response was to reach over to his nightstand, noisily knocking over at least three items because he was apparently unwilling to take his eyes off of what Levi was doing in front of him before he managed to pull open a drawer. He fumbled around inside of that too but eventually came away with a clear bottle, popping open the cap and delivering a decent amount to Levi's empty palm when he held it out for him. He'd been on his knees, gazing down at Erwin while he'd fingered himself, but now he sat back and propped himself up with one hand, spreading his legs before he started working three lubed up fingers into his ass. 

He'd shifted position because Erwin seemed particularly interested in watching, his eyes locked on how Levi was stretching himself. He'd placed his hands on his thighs and was rubbing them gently as if he thought Levi needed to be soothed, but fortunately, he was no stranger to sticking things up his ass, and had no problem working in the three digits quickly. He felt a burn crawling up his spine, sure, but it wasn't too much, and it wasn't enough to make him slow down when all he wanted now was Erwin's cock. He could feel it pressing against his back from how he was sitting, and he gasped and shuddered needily, a whine leaving his throat too as he shifted his hips and flicked his wrist and took his fingers all the way down to the last knuckle. 

“Fuck, Levi-” Erwin swore breathily then, his eyes lidded and his face more ruddy than Levi had seen so far.

“You like that?” Levi asked before he spread his fingers and his jaw went slack, groaning lightly when Erwin suddenly tightened the grip he had on his thighs and lifted his hips to rut his cock against him.

“Yes, but I think I'd like the sight of my cock inside you more.”

Levi didn't think he'd agreed with anything as much as he did that statement, and decided that he was open enough, pulling his fingers out and raising himself up onto his knees again. Erwin was already a step ahead of him, with a condom he'd pulled from his drawer halfway opened already. He rolled it onto his cock while Levi found the lube again, slicking him up so that Erwin could grab his ass, spread his cheeks, and hold him steady while Levi started lowering himself, his breath hitching as soon as the head popped inside him.

Sinking a bit lower, he paused to adjust, raising himself a moment later before Erwin thrusted up just slightly with his hips. Like that, they worked together, their heavy breathing and the noises from the mattress squeaking the only sounds in the room, until finally Levi was fully seated on Erwin's lap with every inch of his cock buried inside him up to the hilt. It felt huge, he thought, barely able to comprehend anything else other than how filled up and split his ass felt now.

Erwin seemed to be a bit overwhelmed too, if the bruisingly tight grip he now held on Levi's waist said anything, along with how his eyes were squeezed shut from where he’d tipped his head back against the bed. 

“Alright?” Levi asked him ridiculously enough, as if he was with a huge cock lodged up inside his ass.

At that, Erwin opened his eyes and then huffed a breathy laugh, licking his lips while nodding once. “You're tight.”

“You’re the one hung like a goddamn horse.” Levi replied, feeling a bit smug despite himself that Erwin was apparently struggling a little, especially considering how he'd gotten him to the edge so quickly before with his mouth and fingers.

Clenching around him, Levi savored the deep groan it elicited from Erwin's throat before he started moving, rolling his hips slowly at first and building up to a steady rhythm. He leaned back at the start like he had been before, bracing himself with his palms against Erwin’s thighs behind him and spreading his legs to move that way, giving him a follow-up to the show he’d enjoyed so much earlier when he’d been fingering himself.

Levi moaned and rode him like that, finding that he enjoyed watching Erwin watch him almost as much as he liked the feel of his dick in his ass. He also liked making him feel good, he found, after what he’d learned about him earlier that night at the bar, and if the way he was responding was any indication,  _ good  _ was certainly what he felt. His eyes were still lidded and his brows were drawn down, and his hands were roaming all over Levi’s waist, thighs, and backside, an expression of bliss on his face that seemed reflected in the quiet sounds he was making.

They were breathy noises, light gasps that hitched sometimes because Erwin was moving too, thrusting up into Levi by digging his heels into the bed and bending his knees. Levi felt a thrill go through him when one upward push from Erwin nearly dislodged him off his lap, and found himself shifting to lean forward, planting his palms on Erwin’s chest so he could ride him with abandon. He rolled his hips and didn’t try to silence himself, letting his moans ring loudly throughout the room as the friction built. 

It would be hard to anyway because it felt so good, with the big head of Erwin’s cock now brushing against his prostate because he’d found the perfect angle, but hadn’t Levi decided that was what this was about anyway? Hadn’t he told himself he was going to enjoy this night, because he and Erwin had both met and realized they’d be alone otherwise, and after discovering they wouldn’t mind spending time with each other decided to do just that? 

Either way, Erwin deserved this because he’d gotten dumped during the holidays, and Levi - well, even if he was lonely, he was used to it. Erwin was not. Still, though, he hadn’t gotten laid in a long time, and especially not with someone like Erwin. He was having fun, he realized, and now with all of his remaining inhibitions gone, it wasn't long before he was bouncing up and down and nearly crying out at the top of his voice.

_ “Erwin!”  _ He moaned too, enjoying the way it made Erwin buck up into him sharply and dig his fingers into his hips.

He was helping him move as best he could, aiding him by lifting with his arms every time Levi raised himself up off his lap. That didn't stop his thighs from burning though, nor did it keep him from becoming sweaty despite the cold winter air. He ignored it all though, rolling his hips and arching his back, gasping over the noises of his cock slapping against his stomach and watching Erwin from in between the fluttering of his lashes as he drew closer to release.

Levi thought he could tell he was going to come soon, because his muscles looked tense and although he wore a determined, serious expression on his face that suggested he was focusing on nothing else but driving himself into Levi's ass, the slapping sounds from their skin crashing together had started to become less controlled. Levi wasn't far behind, but only when Erwin closed his eyes and tipped his head back did he start stroking himself, biting his lip and moaning in his throat at how it practically made the pleasure skyrocket.

He knew it would bring him to the edge quickly and that was why he'd waited until Erwin was close too, and of course, he was right, because not even a minute after Erwin froze and his mouth fell open, and then he released with a deep, shuddering groan that Levi imagined he could feel vibrating right through him. With his thighs burning and aching, he sat and just grinded down on Erwin's cock like that, rolling his hips while he jerked himself off until he too came with a cry. He spilled come all Erwin's stomach, spurts of it coating his skin while he continued to tug on himself until it was nothing more than a few sticky droplets running over his fingers.

Trembling from the intense rush of pleasure that had gone through him, Levi rolled off Erwin onto his side and just laid still, catching his breath and basking in the blissful, tingling afterglow. Beside him, Erwin was doing much the same, his heavy gasps slowing until they were quiet. Levi had closed his eyes, but he opened them again when Erwin shifted, twisting his upper body so that he could give him a kiss. It was soft, gentle in comparison to how it had been before, but Levi found himself leaning into it all the same. 

He felt the barest slip of Erwin's tongue along his lips and sighed, reaching out despite himself to place a hand on Erwin's chest. It was silent between them but things weren't awkward or uncomfortable - perhaps because Levi had worn himself out too much to be able to contemplate anything else. He was content to lie there as long as Erwin didn't seem to mind, and he only shifted when Erwin reached over for a tissue to wipe himself off and to remove the condom, pushing himself up into a sitting position to look around the room.

“Where’s the bathroom?” He asked, watching Erwin clean his come off his stomach with a vague feeling of satisfaction.

“It's down the hall and to the right.” Erwin answered, looking at Levi as he moved to climb off the bed. “Are you leaving?”

Freezing, Levi glanced at him. He didn't know, not really. He was fine with staying the night if Erwin didn't mind , but he didn't want to intrude if he wasn't wanted. The only reason he was there was for a hook-up anyway, his visit disguised underneath the premise of celebrating his birthday and Erwin's Christmas together. They'd certainly done their revelling, but although Levi felt comfortable enough around Erwin already to sleep over at his apartment, he didn't know if Erwin felt the same.

“I can.” He said with that in mind, only for Erwin to respond to the contrary almost immediately.

“I'd like it if you stayed.” He said, causing Levi to blink for a second while the words sunk in. “If you want to.”

“Okay.” He responded a moment later though, and that was that, and all through cleaning himself up in Erwin's bathroom Levi felt warmth growing in his chest all over again.

It didn't go away when he returned to the bedroom to find Erwin underneath layers of blankets, most of the lights turned out already for sleep. Levi climbed in next to him while Erwin switched off the last lamp, and a second later, he felt him shift and his fingers brushing against Levi's below the covers. Levi grabbed his hand and curled up beside him, and now warm and toasty and feeling satisfied, it wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep even though his heart was pounding in his chest.

There was a reason for that, a reason which he felt all over again when he woke up a few hours later to find himself wrapped up in Erwin's arms, his back pressed against his chest with Erwin breathing evenly in his ear. He was asleep, obviously, and although Levi was barely awake, he blushed anyway, a delirious curse sounding out through his mind because he knew he was falling for this bastard, and fast. He was too out of it to deny it any longer at that point, that even though he was in his mid-thirties, he'd somehow developed a...a, for lack of a better term, a  _ crush _ . 

It was stupid and unfortunate because Erwin was coming out of a break-up and probably not available, as he was no doubt still hung up on his ex. Levi didn't blame him; it had only recently happened, after all. He was the idiot who had decided to sleep with him knowing that, unable to help himself because Erwin was charming and cute and the alternative was each of them sitting at home that night, alone and down in the dumps on what was supposed to be a special day for the both of them.

Somehow, even with those thoughts racing around his head, Levi managed to go back to sleep. When he woke up later though, Erwin was gone - probably because it was noon. He saw the time on Erwin’s clock after sitting up to rub at his eyes, yawning and stretching and realizing he heard noises coming from outside the bedroom. They were kitchen sounds, and Levi smelled coffee, and after getting up and pulling his boxers on he padded down the hallway to find Erwin in pajama pants cooking something in a pan. It looked like eggs, and he turned from the stove when he heard Levi approach and climb into a chair at Erwin's small island, giving him a smile and reaching for what Levi hoped was the coffee.

Even better, he soon found out, it was tea.

“I saw you had a bunch of tea boxes behind your bar, so I made a pot of that.” Erwin said. “I hope you actually like it.”

“Yeah, I do.” Levi said, watching Erwin pour him a cup with a bit of awe that he'd fucking noticed that.

“Did you sleep well?” Erwin asked him next, going back to his pan of eggs.

“Yeah.” Levi said, sipping his tea and gazing at Erwin's back with wide eyes, a little caught off guard by how natural this all felt even though they barely knew each other.

“That's good.” Was Erwin's answer, before he went silent for a moment to finish cooking.

A few minutes later and he presented Levi with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, fixing himself one too and coming around to sit next to him at the island.

“I think you gave me the ride of my life last night, you know.”  He said, causing Levi's ears to immediately heat so much he thought they were going to melt off.

He supposed he had gone a little wild, he had to admit. His thighs were sore and his was getting that way, but it had felt good and he'd had fun. And so had Erwin, apparently, if his words and the way he suddenly brushed his fingers across Levi's cheek said anything. 

“Are you complaining?” Levi asked though, albeit teasingly before he took a bite of eggs.

“No.” Erwin said, chuckling. “Of course not. I don't think there's any other way I'd rather spend Christmas morning.”

Levi scoffed, eyeing Erwin from the side as he ate. “I've had worse birthdays, I guess.”

Erwin laughed at his comment, knowing he was joking, and leaned over to kiss his neck. It made Levi freeze, biting his lip at the affection. 

“We still have time to make it better.” He said, his hand coming to rest on Levi's thigh.

He squeezed it, and although Levi hadn't necessarily expected this to happen again, he wasn't complaining. In fact, he was gone, because Erwin had kissed him and he was too busy leaning into it to think about anything else. He liked the way Erwin’s lips felt against his own, he thought, even slow and lazy not long after they’d woken up. Somehow he still smelled good too even with an underlying hint of sweat and sex, and had Erwin kept kissing him, Levi probably would have tried to climb into his lap again right then and there. Unfortunately, he pulled away much to Levi’s chagrin, giving him a close-up view of his blue eyes and the fresh hint of pink along his cheekbones.

“I was going to shower after breakfast.” He said, his hand still a warm, firm presence high up on Levi’s leg. “If you’d like to join me.”

“Alright.” Levi said immediately, so fast that he should probably be embarrassed about it.

With a small smile on his face, Erwin went back to eating, and when they were both done they almost calmly washed their plates and made their way into Erwin’s bathroom. Erwin started the shower and they kissed and took off what little clothing they’d pulled on while the water warmed up, and continued once they got inside. There was a lot of groping and making out and wet skin sliding across wet skin, and although they did manage to wash off, they didn’t make it to the bed before they were fucking again. 

Or at least, they didn’t make it  _ on top _ of the bed. Erwin just bent Levi over the edge and pushed his cock in like that after grabbing a new condom and stretching him just a bit with his fingers, and Levi moaned and writhed through it, enjoying being the one just taking it that time rather than how it had been the night before. Erwin fucked him as hard and as enthusiastically as he’d ridden him, and because Levi didn’t resist jerking off from almost the moment he’d bottomed out inside him, it didn’t take long for him to make a mess all over Erwin’s white bedsheets. 

Erwin managed to last for at least a few more minutes, and collapsed next to him after he came shuddering and groaning while buried deep inside him. He pulled Levi onto the bed and next to him, and this time, Levi didn’t bother hesitating to lay his head on Erwin’s shoulder. 

“I think your dick is the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.” He blurted without even thinking about it, despite the fact that he knew his soreness was going to be even worse tomorrow because of their second round. 

“Yes, you mentioned that last night.” Erwin said, laughing at him and slipping his hand down from Levi’s shoulder and over his back, trailing his fingers down to his ass before giving it a quick pat. “This wasn’t a bad Christmas present either.”

“Yeah?” Levi said, unable to resist sitting up on an elbow, planting his palm down hard on Erwin’s chest, holding him still while he bent to kiss him lightly. 

“Mm.” 

“You like it that much?”

“I do.”

“You’re gonna make me give it to you again.”

“I wouldn’t complain.”

Levi had been unable to pull away from the meant-to-be quick kiss, and they’d moved their lips together slowly in between the entire exchange. It was flirtatious, and heated enough so that Levi could feel his cock start to respond again already, but the thought that he had to open the bar that night was the only thing keeping him from climbing on top of Erwin all over again. 

“I gotta work.” He said against Erwin’s mouth, opening his eyes to gaze down at him before he finally pulled away completely.

“Does that mean you’re leaving?” Erwin asked, glancing at the clock.

There was a hint of something in his voice that reminded Levi of the night before when he’d asked him to stay, and honestly, it wouldn’t take much convincing for Levi to do that now. His stomach flipped at the thought of Erwin asking him, but this time, even after Levi nodded and sat up, he didn’t. 

He didn’t say anything that suggested they might meet up again while Levi cleaned up again quickly and got dressed either, but Levi shouldn’t have expected anything else. The day was almost over, and with it, their one night stand, and even if he’d realized he liked Erwin as more than just a hook-up, Levi had gone into this knowing that’s what it was, right? He had no business being disappointed that Erwin didn’t ask if he could see him again, because Erwin was just getting out of a relationship and probably not ready to date. Even if he was that didn’t mean he would date Levi, but that didn’t stop him from feeling a bit of melancholy when he said goodbye a little while later and finally left Erwin’s apartment.

He told himself that it was too bad multiple times that night while he worked his bar, that he was an adult and completely capable of dealing with the consequences of what he’d gotten himself into. He continued to tell himself that in the days after that led up to the new year, and that although he still had Erwin’s number, Erwin had his too and Levi had not heard from him, and calling Erwin himself would look desperate and stupid and only lead to rejection. 

Besides, he thought nearly a week later, did he really want to be Erwin’s rebound? Weren’t those kinds of relationships always destined for disaster anyway? Even if they weren’t, and even if Erwin did want to see him again, it was probably still a bad idea, because hadn’t he been wanting his ex to call him the very night they’d slept together? He had, and even after he’d basically confessed to Levi that it was over, and even if the fact that he’d left him his number suggested that he had accepted it to some degree, Levi would be stupid to not be wary. 

He knew that, but why couldn’t he get Erwin off his mind? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about him, and finding himself daydreaming about how it had felt to kiss him and how Levi liked his laugh? Why was he finding himself looking up every single time someone entered his bar with the hopes that it might be him, remembering how he’d stumbled in from the cold on Christmas Eve and drank nearly a quarter of his supply of nice whiskey. Levi didn’t know, and by the time New Year’s Eve rolled around, he was frustrated with himself and ready to move on.

It was making him glum and more grouchy than normal overall, and resulting in worse tips than he normally got for being unfriendly. He couldn’t help it though, and annoyingly enough, he couldn’t help himself from wondering what Erwin was doing that night, and whether he was alone again or not on another night of celebration. Maybe he’d found some friends to hang out with that didn’t know his ex-fiancé and best friend, or maybe, Levi thought sourly, she’d taken him back after all and Erwin was with her.

The thought made him scowl and shove a cocktail across the bar so hard that some of the liquid spilled over the edge of the glass and onto the hand of the patron who had ordered it, causing the man to curse and jump back in surprise. Levi mumbled an apology and wiped up the mess, his ears going hot with exasperation and embarrassment, and he was so distracted thinking about how he was certainly not going to get a tip from that guy that he didn’t even notice another new customer walk in and seat himself at the bar. 

Not until he cleared his throat loudly anyway, the sound carrying over Levi’s low music and getting his attention. He turned his head, irritated at the man’s impatience, and then nearly dropped the cloth he was cleaning with in shock because it was Erwin.

Erwin, sitting at his bar in exactly the same seat as he had before, with his hands folded calmly while he gave Levi a small smile. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi asked, his surprise making him sound much more harsh than he had intended. Swallowing to try to calm himself down, he bit his lip, shaking his head as if to indicate that his previous question wasn’t what he had meant to say. “I mean, shouldn’t you be out partying?”

Erwin raised an eyebrow at that and didn’t speak right away, giving Levi a chance to look him over. He was just as handsome as he’d been before, obviously, but he was only wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans. He didn’t look like he was going to any kind of party, or at least, any kind that would have required him to dress up like he’d been on Christmas. 

“No, not tonight.” Erwin answered after a moment, waving away the bottle of whiskey Levi then held up for him as an offer. “I came to see you. I hope that’s alright.” 

Blinking, mostly in an attempt to stop the way his heart was suddenly pounding in his chest, Levi looked around the bar before going to stand across from where Erwin was sitting. He was crowded that night because New Year’s Eve was a time when people went out rather than stay in their homes, and whatever Erwin might say next Levi was quite sure that he didn’t want any of his other customers to overhear. 

“Why?” He asked, eyeing Erwin carefully.

“To thank you.”

“For what?”

“For distracting me on Christmas Eve. For being so kind to me and trying to cheer me up, and for keeping me company that night. I had fun.”

“Yeah.” Levi replied, with a bit of resignation as he averted his eyes. “I did too.”

“Does that mean you’d want to do it again sometime?”

At those words, Levi's eyes snapped back over to meet Erwin's before he could help it. For the second time that night he found himself completely shocked, frozen in place because it was exactly what he’d been longing to hear for the entire week. It was hard not to just blurt out a yes - a yes that wouldn't at all be a lie - but he managed to refrain, only because all thoughts about Erwin not being ready for this that he'd used to make himself feel better had now become doubts instead. Erwin seemed to sense his hesitance and to know why too, because although Levi wasn't answering his question, he still smiled hopefully when he spoke next. 

“Would you like to talk about it more once you close up?”

Levi nodded, because that was probably a good idea.

“Alright. What time is that?”

Looking around, Levi assessed the situation in his bar. He’d had a lot of business that day because of the holiday, and in his experience, on New Year’s customers usually started dwindling at around 2 or 3. That was late, and if it got slow before he could probably close up without his finances taking a loss, but obviously he could not shut his doors at midnight, and unfortunately he just couldn’t make a crowd of people leave at 1:00 AM either if he was making money no matter how much he might want to. 

“By 3.” He murmured to Erwin, nodding at a woman who was gesturing to him that he would be there in a moment. “Hopefully.”

It was only 10:30 PM at that point, and Levi would not have blamed Erwin if he didn’t want to wait. He was perfectly fine with him leaving and coming back, and halfway expected him to just say forget it overall because that was basically 5 fucking hours from then. 

“Alright.” He just said though, settling back in his seat and giving Levi another soft smile.

It made his heart flutter, and he swallowed to coat his dry throat again, stepping away to deal with his other customers’ needs for a few minutes. Then he went back to see if Erwin wanted anything to drink after all since he was going to wait, and gave him a water and some peanuts when that was all he requested. 

For the rest of the night, Levi spent his time working, sneaking glances at Erwin who, much to Levi’s amusement, had taken a novel out of his coat pocket to read like the bookish librarian he probably was, and wondering with a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and warmth what Erwin was going to say to him later. He was, of course, both happy and a little flustered, albeit in the good way, that Erwin wanted to see him again, so much so that whenever he caught Erwin’s eye that night it made his cheeks turn red. 

Despite that though, he was a little preoccupied with anxiousness too, with his worries about Erwin’s ex-fiancé and with the fear that if he did agree to see Erwin again, Levi would just end up hurt. For all he knew Erwin just wanted to fuck him again anyway, and as appealing as the idea was, Levi didn’t just want Erwin’s cock. He wanted more than that; he already knew it, and as pathetic as it was, he knew that sleeping with Erwin again if that was all he wanted would just lead to more pining. 

Still, it was his hope that Erwin would prove his intentions to be different that kept him from getting too stressed by the time he thought he could close, at around 2:15 rather than 3 AM. He was relieved that it was earlier than he’d predicted because he was tired of waiting and tired of working, and also because he felt a little bad that Erwin had seriously sat there for that long. Even if he liked reading he had to be fucking bored by now, but then again, maybe not, because he’d flown through his book at the speed of light and was at the end and probably just now getting to the good part.

Regardless, he put it away when Levi finally locked the door behind his last exiting customer, returning to the back of his bar to wash his hands and to get a drink of water before he approached Erwin.

“So, uh…” He started, because Erwin hadn’t spoken yet and he wasn’t sure what to say. Hesitating for just another moment though, he decided that it would probably be best to just get to the point. “Are you wanting to see me again, or just my ass?”

Erwin’s response was to chuckle, and then to reach across the bartop to rest his fingers over Levi’s. “You. Well, both if I’m being honest, but I was asking you out on a date.”

“What about your ex?” Levi mumbled, staring down at where Erwin was touching his hand. What he’d just heard was good, but it didn’t solve every one of his worries, and he wasn’t going to agree to anything without discussing all of this. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“For a while I wanted her back.” Erwin started, as if that hadn’t been completely obvious. “And I’d hoped that things weren’t actually over or that she might change her mind about leaving me. I was hurt, and she was all I could think about even when I started to realize that she wasn’t coming back. But then I met you, and...well, you made me realize that it’s possible for me be happy again with someone else. I like you a lot, Levi. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all week, about all of this, and I’m sure it’s what I want.”

Levi did not think he took a single breath for the entire time that Erwin spoke. Instead, he stood there, shocked still not long after he’d started with his eyes going wider and wider the longer he went on, his expression softening too in a way that was impossible for him to hide. It was everything he wanted to hear - everything, and more - and as his words washed over him and sunk in, he almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

It was almost to good to be true, in fact, that Erwin was done with his ex and over his break-up and ready to move on. But he’d said as much, hadn’t he? He’d been honest about how hard it had been at first too, and told Levi that he’d spent the entire week contemplating it until he’d made a decision. That let him know that Erwin was taking this seriously, that he had wanted to be sure before he came in there to ask Levi out again so that he wouldn’t be playing with his feelings and hurt him.

Even if Erwin hadn’t specifically said that Levi knew it was true, and he believed every single thing he’d told him too. He trusted him, he realized, and certainly wanted him, and after just another second Levi knew without a doubt what his response to Erwin’s speech was going to be. Apparently, though, his silence had started to make Erwin nervous, because he’d lost his smile and his brows were drawn down, and before Levi could even respond, he started to move his hand away from where he’d still been grasping Levi’s fingers.

“If you’ll have me, that is.” He said as he did so, his voice quieter than it had been before. “I’d understand if-”

He was interrupted when Levi moved, grabbing his hand back so he could lace their fingers together. 

“Yeah.” He said, squeezing his palm tightly with his own. “Okay.”  

Erwin blinked, seemingly surprised, his lips parting a moment before he closed his mouth and then opened it again. “Okay? You mean, you’ll go out with me?”

“Yeah.” Levi repeated, looking down at where they were holding hands again, this time finally allowing himself to fully feel the happiness and excitement that had been threatening to overtake him this entire time. He even found himself smiling a little - just barely - because after a whirlwind of a night where he'd met Erwin, slept with him, and then convinced himself nothing would come of it after realizing he wanted it to, Erwin had come back a week later because he wanted to see him again after all. “I wanna go out with you, Erwin.”

Erwin seemed to let out a breath Levi hadn't known he'd been holding at that, the sound of him exhaling in relief louder than the music that was still playing throughout the bar. He smiled again and stood up too, bringing Levi’s hand up to his mouth so he could kiss it. Then, he paused, his eyes sweeping over Levi’s steadily reddening face, and leaned over the bar. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, his eyes bright. “For New Year’s?”

Levi snorted, amused that Erwin was even asking, and placed his free hand on Erwin’s warm chest. “You’re a few hours late, but yeah.”

Erwin’s response was just to bend down and lean further over the bar, prompting Levi to stand up onto his tiptoes to meet him halfway. Their lips touched briefly and then again for longer, and the next thing Levi knew he was opening his mouth and kissing Erwin for all he was worth. All of the relief and lightheartedness he felt seemed to pour out of him and right through it, and he found himself digging his fingers into Erwin’s sweater, wrapping his arm around his neck a few moments later in an effort to get as closer. 

“Can I take you to dinner?” Erwin asked him breathily, pulling away only to be dragged back down almost immediately again by Levi.

“Sure.” He answered though in between their next few kisses, keeping his eyes closed and unwilling to part from him long enough to even answer the question properly.

“Do you like sushi?”

“Yeah.”

“When are you available?”

Levi paused at that, stepping back away from Erwin’s mouth to regard him. He was nearly bent in half over the bar because Levi had pulled him forward so much, pieces of his hair falling into his face and his lips now red, wet, and already growing swollen. It nearly made Levi forget all about the fact that Erwin was asking him when he could go to dinner, because all of a sudden he was ready to just drag him upstairs for something else. Thinking about it, though, he decided that it wasn’t like doing so would hurt, as it was probably too late for them to go get sushi for dinner at that point anyway.

“Now.” He answered, leaning forward again to give Erwin another quick kiss. “My apartment is upstairs.”

“Are you inviting me inside?” Erwin murmured against his lips, his voice lowering in the way it had when Levi had first propositioned him over the phone.

Levi nodded, stepping forward to exit from behind the bar, dragging Erwin along with him from across it by his arm until he reached the end of it. “Unless you want to spend New Year’s alone.”

“No.” Erwin answered, smiling as he wrapped his arms around Levi and pulled him against his chest. “I’d much rather spend it with you.” 

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos appreciated, thanks for reading <3


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